Single apron drafting arrangement



May 17, 1966 w. P. WARTHEN SINGLE APRON DRAFTING ARRANGEMENT Filed July 5, 1963 INVENTOR. WI LLIA M P. WARTHEN BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,251,098 SINGLE APRON DRAFTING ARRANGEMENT William P. Warthen, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deering Millikan Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 5, 1963, Ser. No. 293,585 18 Claims. (Cl. 19-246) This invention relates generally to a textile handling arrangement and more particularly to an improved apparatus for use in the drafting of a running length of textile fibers.

For a number of years in the textile industry, it has been the practice to employ roll-type drafting systems in which there are two, three or more pairs of spacedapart rolls at successive higher rates in the direction'of travel of the fiber passing therethrough in order to provide a.desired degreee .of drafting of the fiber mass. However, due to the space limitations caused by required roll size, as well as other limitations, the spacing between the rolls has been such as to lose control of the fibers in the drafting zone between the succeeding rolls. In order to overcome this dilficulty, the industry has adopted generally the employment of a combined roll and apron type drafting arrangement in which one or more aprons is employed for carrying and controlling the fiber mass to a point closer to the nip of a succeeding pair of rolls,

particularly in areas where high draft is to be achieved.

However, while the conventional apron system does provide a material improvement and advantages in this respect, there is still a space leftbetween the nose end of conventionally employed apron drafting systems and the succeeding adjacent pair of nip rolls, with consequent loss of control of fibers in this space. This may and commonly does result in the deterioration of quality of the resulting yam formed from the fiber mass, as well as loss of fibers which may drop out from the fiber mass, including particularly short fibers, in this free uncontrolled zone betwen the rolls or between the nose end of the apron assembly and the succeeding rolls.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved drafting arrangement in which support and guidance control is provided for the fibers along substantially the entire distance between two succeeding pairs of rolls, and particularly in the drafting zone immediately preceding the faster driven rolls of two succeeding pairs of rolls. a

A further object of the invention is the cleaning of the bottom rolls of two succeeding pairs of rolls by a bridge device which serves also to support and guide the fiber mass between the two pairs of rolls.

A third feature of the. invention is to provide cleaning of the bottom rolls of two succeeding pairs of rolls by a bridge device which not only serves to support and guide the fiber mass between the two pairs of rolls but also serves to condense the fiber mass being supplied to the fastest driven set of rolls to enhance the appearance and strength of the resultant fiber, I

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved multiple function cradle assembly and bridge element subassembly which effects roll cleaning and improved fiber support and control between spaced drafting rolls, as well as apron clearing, improved apron tracking, cradle alignment, and condensation of the fibers prior to the supply of the fiber mass to the fastest driven pair of drafting rolls.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination support, cleaning and condensing bridge sup port device for an apron type drafting system in which a condenser is slidably associated with the bridge support device to improve the appearance and strength of the resultant fiber.

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Patented May 17,1966

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as the specification proceeds to discribe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a single drafting assembly incorporating the preferred form of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section view of the arrangement of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the novel cradle arrangement of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a View taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the condenser taken line 5- 5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of FIGURE 5.

Looking now to FIGURES 1-6 the invention is shown as applied to a drafting system using three pairs of successively faster driven drafting rolls including back rolls 10 and 12, middle rolls 14 and 16 and front rolls 18 and 20, an apron member 22 is carried about the surface of roll 14 and is guided through a radius nose zone adjacent roll 18 by the roll cleaning and apron guiding element 24. The cleaning and guiding element 24 is connected to a multiple purpose bridge element 26 which extends between and rides, preferably in substantially floating relation on the peripheral smooth surface of roll 16 and the peripheral fluted surface of roll 20. Slidably mounted in the bridge element 26 is a condenser 64 which is also in contact with the peripheral surface of the fluted roll 20. I

The apron clearing and guiding element 24 is removtably interconnected to the bridge element 26 through the medium of side cars 30 formed on the element 24 and extending down about the sides of element 26. The side ears 30 have detents 32 formed thereon which engage slots 34 formed in the side walls 36 of the center web portion of bridge element 26. While the detent and socket arrangement is shown with the detent on side ears 30 and the slots in side walls 36, it is within the scope of the invention to such arrangement can be reversed or other suitable means may be substituted therefor.

The slots 34 are preferably longitudinal in a direction parallel to the surface 38 so as to permit longitudinal selfadjustment of the element 24 which respect to the bridge element 26 and thus permitting self-adjustment to accommodate varying tolerances between the rolls 14 and 18 or variations in diameter of the roll 14, or variations in setting between the rolls 14 and 18. Precisely complementary slot and detent connections may be employed, if desired.

Preferably the clearing and guiding element 24 is provided with side shoulders 40 and 42 which extend about the opposite ends of the boss portion of roll 14, in order to impart lateral stability to the assembly 24 and 26, width to the rolls 14 and 16 and the passage of the fiber mass F therebetween.

Referring further to the apron-guiding element 24, this element has a roll-engaging concave clearing surface 44, an apron fiber control run guiding surface 46, a reduced diameter nose end 48, and a return surface 50, thus guiding the apron 22 in a tapered path extending from theroll 14 to and from a nose position adjacent the roll'18.

The clearing and controlling bridge element 26 has two cantilever legs 52 and 54, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3,

which are connected by a central web section, and the entire element 26 may be formed of a material, such as Delrin, which issufficiently elastic, though dimensionally stable, to permit the springing in of the legs 52 and 54 for insertion and removal of the element between the rolls 16 and 20.

Theclearing and fiber control element is illustrated as a hollow block member formed by cantilever legs 52 and 54 which have oppositely facing concave roll engaging clearing surfaces 56 and 58, respectively and an intermediate apron engaging and guiding fiber mass supporting and controlling surface 33 which extends from closely adjacent the roll 16 to a position adjacent the surface of the front roll 18. The fiber supporting and control surface is preferably somewhat convex, as by cutting a champer 60 therein in order to aid in feedthrough of the fiber mass between this surface and the adjacent apron 22.

As a further aid to the proper passage of the fiber mass between the apron 22 and bridge surface 38 there is preferably formed an undercut 62 at the entrance end of the concave surface 56, thus providing a space of from approximately five to twenty-five thousandths inch depth and approximately one-eight to one-quarter inch in length. This is of material value in preventing the protruding fibers in the fiber mass from being impinged between the roll periphery and the element, thus causing the entire mass of fibers to follow thereabout as the fiber mass passes from between the nip formed between the apron and the roll 16. The apron 22 is itself of material importance in moving the fiber mass F past this critical zone and along the further control path extending between the apron and the surface 38, 69 of the bridge element 26.

To enhance the appearance and strength of the fiber F a condenser 64, shown in detail in FIGURES 4-6, is horizontally slidably secured into groove 66 of the bridge element 26 by tongue 68 and functionally becomes a part of the bridge element. A detent 70 formed on the surface 72 of the bridge element 26 engages a slot 74 in the condenser 64 to allow the condenser to freely slide parallel to the axis of groove 66. Slot 74, as shown in FIGURE 6, does not extend to the ends of condenser 64 thereby preventing the condenser from being accidentally disengaged from the bridge element 26 during operation. Preferably the concave surface 76 of the condenser 64 has the same radius of curvature as the concave surface 58 so that concave surfaces 76 and 58 provide a continuous roll engaging clearing surface. Condenser opening 78, looking in a direction towards the intermediate rolls 14 and 16, tapers outwardly and downwardly in order to guide the fiber F into the condenser opening 78 regardless of the position of the fiber F coming from between the apron 22 and bridge element 26 and regardless of the horizontal position of the condenser 64.

Preferably, condenser 64 will be of the same material as the element 26 but obviously other suitable materials can be substituted.

It will thus be seen that element 26 with the condenser 64 slidably mounted therein serves as a multiple function element in which the concave surfaces 56, 58 and 76 not only stabilize the entire system 24 and 26 relative to rotation about the axis of either of rolls 14 and 16, but also serve to clean the rolls 16 and 20 through their rubbing engagement therewith. The element further serves the additional functions of supporting and controlling the passage of fiber F as it passes through the rolls 14, 16, 18 and 20. Furthermore, the condenser 64 gathers the wide fiat strips of fiber F coming from the rolls 14 and 16 and automatically compresses them into a compact rounded strand thereby providing fiber of great strength and better appearance.

The combination of the floating condenser 64 with the bridge element 26 greatly enhances the utility of the type of drafting system since the condenser will gather and compress the strip like ribbons of fiber F coming from the intermediate rolls 14 and 16 regardless of its position and also serves as a functional member of bridge element 26 to aid in clearing the front roll 20.

Although I have described in detail the preferred. embodiment of my invention I contemplate that changes may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention and I desire to be limited only by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a textile drafting assembly having two spaced apart pairs of drafting rolls, an endless fiber-control apron disposed about one roll of one pair of said rolls and extending between said one roll and an adjacent roll of the other pair of said spaced apart pairs of rolls, means guiding said apron having a nose end between. said one roll and said adjacent roll, said apron having a fiber engaging and controlling run extending between said one roll and said nose end thereof, and a fiber controlling and supporting bridge element disposed between and engaging the fiber-forwarding portion of each of the other two rolls of said pairs of rolls; the improvement comprising a condenser element slidably engaging said bridge element and being disposed adjacent the leading roll of the other two rolls of said two pairs of rolls to supply condensed fiber thereto received from between said bridge element and said apron.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein an elongated groove extending in a direction substantially normal to the flow of fiber through said drafting assembly is provided in one of said elements, the other of said elements having a projection thereon slidably engaging said groove.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein said elongated groove is in said bridge element.

4. The structure of claim 2 wherein detent means are operably associated with said bridge element and said condenser element to prevent said condenser element from sliding completely out of said elongated groove.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein said detent means comprises a detent in one of said elements and a groove closed at both ends in the other of said elements with the detent engaging said closed groove whereby complete disengagement of said condenser element from said bridge element is prevented by the engagement of said detent with either of the ends of said closed groove.

6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said first named groove is in said bridge element.

7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said closed groove is in said condenser element. I

8. In a textile drafting assembly having two spaced apart pairs of drafting rolls, an endless fiber control apron disposed about one roll of one pair of said rolls and extending between said one roll and an adjacent roll of the other pair of said spaced apart pairs of rolls, means guiding said apron having a nose end between said one roll and said adjacent roll, said apron having a fiber enaging and controlling run extending between said one roll and said nose end thereof, and a fiber controlling and supporting bridge element disposed between and engaging the fiber-forwarding portion of each of the other two rolls of said pairs of rolls, said bridge element having oppositely extending concave roll engaging surfaces formed at opposite ends thereof and engaging said other two of said pairs of rolls; the improvement comprising a condenser element slidably engaging said bridge element and having a concave surface engaging one roll of the other two rolls of said two pairs of rolls and being contiguous with said concave surface of said bridge element engaging said roll and forming therewith a substantially continuous concave surface.

9. The structure of claim 8 wherein an elongated groove extending in a direction substantially normal to the flow of fiber through said drafting assembly is provided in one of said elements, the other of said elements having a projection thereon slidably engaging said groove.

10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said elongated groove is in said bridge element.

11. The structure of claim 9 wherein detent means are operably associated with said bridge element and said condenser element to prevent said condenser element from sliding completely out of said elongated groove.

12. The structure of claim 11 wherein said detent means comprises a detent in one of said elements and a groove closed at both ends in the other of said elements with the detent engaging said closed groove whereby complete disengagement of said condenser element from said bridge element is prevented by the engagement of said detent with either of the ends of said closed groove.

13. The structure of claim 12 wherein said first normal groove is in said bridge element.

14. The structure of claim 13 wherein said closed groove is in said condenser element.

15. A textile drafting cradle arrangement comprising: two successive spaced apart pairs of drafting rolls, an apron guiding element disposed between two successive rolls of said spaced apart pairs of drafting rolls and having an endless fiber control apron operably associated therewith, an external fiber controlling bridge element disposed between and in operative running rubbing relation with the fiber conveying surface of each of the other two successive spaced apart rolls of said successive pairs of rolls, and condenser means slidably engaging said bridge element and being disposed adjacent the leading roll of the other two successive spaced apart rolls of said successive pairs of rolls to supply condensed fiber thereto received from between said bridge element and said apron.

16. A fiber controlling bridge element comprising an element having a pair of concave roll engaging and cleaning surfaces with one of said concave surfaces facing in an opposite direction from the other concave surface, a fiber supporting and guiding surface extending between said concave surfaces and condenser means slidably enably engaging said bridge element.

18. The structure of claim 17 wherein said condenser means has a concave surface engagingone rollof said two successive rolls engaged by said bridge element.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,164 8/1919 Casablancas 19-150 1,428,271 9/ 1922 Butler 19-290 1,992,121 2/1935 Casablancas 19-292 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,024 1892 Great Britain. 653,168 5/ 1951 Great Britain.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Acting Primary Examiner. DONALD W. PARKER, Examiner. 

1. IN A TEXTILE DRAFTING ASSEMBLY HAVING TWO SPACED APART PAIRS OF DRAFTING ROLLS, AN ENDLESS FIBER-CONTROL APRON DISPOSED ABOUT ONE ROLL OF ONE PAIR OF SAID ROLLS AND EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ONE ROLL AND AN ADJACENT ROLL OF THE OTHER PAIR OF SAID SPACED APART PAIRS OF ROLLS, MEANS GUIDING SAID APRON HAVING A NOSE END BETWEEN SAID ONE ROLL AND SAID ADJACENT ROLL, SAID APRON HAVING A FIBER ENGAGING AND CONTROLLING RUN EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID ONE ROLL AND SAID NOSE END THEREOF, AND A FIBER CONTROLLING AND SUPPORTING BRIDGE ELEMENT DISPOSED BETWEEN AND ENGAGING THE FIBER-FORWARDING PORTION OF EACH OF THE OTHER TWO ROLLS OF SAID PAIRS OF ROLLS; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A CONDENSER ELEMENT SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID BRIDGE ELEMENT AND BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE LEADING ROLL OF THE OTHER TWO ROLLS OF SAID TWO PAIRS OF ROLLS TO SUPPLY CONDENSED FIBER THERETO RECEIVED FROM BETWEEN SAID BRIDGE ELEMENT AND SAID APRON. 